City of Girls: The Sunday Times Bestseller (Bloomsbury Publishing) Paperback – 7 April 2020

I don’t know if it’s because I got to celebrate my big birthday in NYC last year, or because the book depicts such warm and realistic portrayals of female friendships, or just the exquisite prose...but I adored this book. I did not want it to end. If you’re looking for an intriguing, heartwarming story with characters you will genuinely care about, I think you’ll relish being transported back to 1940’s New York. You don’t have to be interested in either the theatre or sewing to be entranced and charmed by the description. Gilbert paints a vibrant picture of a time gone by.I don’t describe the plot in reviews but I’ll add a couple of my favourite quotes:“At some point in a woman’s life she just gets tired of being ashamed all the time. After that she is free to become whoever she truly is”.“I learned this truth: when women are gathered together with no men around, they don’t have to be anything in particular; they can just be”.I loved it so much I bought another four copies to gift to my sister and best friends, just so we can all talk about it!I loved every minute and will return to this book more than once, I’m sure.

Nineteen-year-old Vivien escapes from her dull, small-town, middle-class life to 1940s New York, where the showgirls are supernaturally beautiful, the drinks are flowing and the morals are more than a little elastic. She and her new friend, the incredibly gorgeous Celia Ray, hit the town hard in search of trouble. But when trouble inevitably comes knocking and tears the fantasy world she has built for herself apart, will the security of Vivien's old life prove irresistable?'City of Girls' is an inviting read. The plot moves along at a good pace, evoking the irresistable glamour of pre-war New York through Vivien's delight in the city, and later exploring how the city changes in the war and post-war years. New York becomes a character in her own right, and one that you are eager to explore along with Vivien.For me, one of the most compelling thing about the novel is that none of the characters are one-dimensional. Each has her (or his) shining abilities and fatal flaws. Through encountering them, Vivien evolves, learning and gradually changing from a spoilt, vain, hedonistic girl (who, frankly, I didn't much care for at the start of the book) to a woman who reflects on the nature of love, loyalty and friendship through the many people she has spent time with, and becomes more empathetic as a result. Although this evolution was not entirely believable, it was interesting enough, and allowed Viven (and therefore the reader) to experience deeper and more satifying connections with the other characters as the book developed.On the whole, the women come out of the story better than the men; they are more vividly portrayed and the author seems tome more forgiving of their flaws than she is for her male characters. But this is primarily a story about women and the different ways in which they can be friends and lovers; how seemingly deep friendships can shatter in an instant, or drift away because they were never really there, and how friendships between the most mismatched people can be the most fulfilling of all.I enjoyed the opportunity to get to know the characters better as Vivien's own maturity and increased understanding allowed her to have a more multi-dimentional understanding of human nature, and I enjoyed the shabby glamour of the Lily Playhouse theatre (another compelling non-human character) and the descriptons of the challenges and excitements of putting on a variety of shows on a shoestring for a non-traditional audience. I was moved by the way the author explores the effects of war on those people and places which survive, and the possible impact on future generations. The sex scenes weren't my 'thing', but as part of this particular narrative the development of Vivien's sexual desires and tastes was more satisfying than a more predictable ending.I was expecting 'City of Girls' to be a shallow romp through the world of pre-war showbiz glamour. It does indeed start out as such, but it has more facets to it, and explores more sophisticated themes as the narrative develops. It is probably most appealing to female readers (because of the nature of the characters, although I've seen some male reviewers balk at some aspects of the subject matter too) who would appreciate a read that is easy, but not simple.

Excellent book. Things that I liked the most about this book:I loved Vivian. Yes she had her own imperfections, yes, she was vain and yes , there were times when she was ludicrous in the novel, but that is what makes her relatable.The idea of creating a lead character , whom everyone can relate to is magical and no it is not as easy as it sounds. Also, the fact that she remains unconventional and authentic, without giving in to the societal pressures, makes her admirable.2. The slick narration- I havent read any of Elizabeth Gilbert’s books before so I did not know what to expect, but I was not disappointed to say the least. The writing was very slick and had an ease to it which made it effortless reading for the reader.3. The supporting characters- Not just Vivian , but the supporting characters like Edna Parker, Celia, Aunt Peg, were all written with quite a bit of depth and mystery surrounding them. None of them were monotoned and all of them had their own charm.Give it a try for sure!

This is the best book I’ve read in a long time. Strong characters and love the setting in New York. My book group reading it this month. Thoroughly recommend

A sincere, fluent NYC novel. Enjoyed reading it.

Another well written, heart touching, deep book from Elizabeth Gilbert. Can’t describe how much I wanted to hold Vivian and meet everyone. This book is simply amazing.

Me faltan palabras para describir este libro, por encima parece una entretenida y excitante novela. Pero conforme va avanzando, sientes más y más la profundidad de la historia, de los personajes, y cómo vivamos en la época y lugar que sea, la vida está llena de misterios, de emociones y no va “en línea recta”. Elizabeth Gilberta: con lágrimas en los ojos, gracias.

Non l'ho ancora finito, ma mi sta piacendo un sacco!! La scrittrice è bravissima, con il suo linguaggio lineare, chiaro, senza inutile retorica.Ho già letto altri libri della Gilbert e non delude mai!

Elizabeth Gilbert hat meines Erachtens mit diesem Roman ihre literarische Virtualität auf die Spitze getrieben. Quer durch Gesellschafts- und politische Schichten. Stadt - Land-Gegensätze und wunderbar einfühlsame Typenschilderungen aller Altersklassen halten den Leser - vor allem aber die Leserin - von der ersten bis zur letzten Seite dieses sehr umfangreichen Romans in ihrem Bann. Ich habe zwei Nächte durchgelesen...